Cron jobs
December 8th, 2008
Cron jobs allow you to automate repetitive tasks on the server that hosts your web site. This is a powerful tool that allows you to take a hands-free approach to repetitive tasks. For example, you could add a cron job that automatically copies a MySQL database to a separate location on your site as a backup.
There are two different modes you can use to add a cron job:
- Standard - Provides a range of pre-set options that you can choose. This is the simplest method and is recommended.
- Advanced (Unix Style) - Provides the regular Unix style cron options. Recommended for users who are used to this method of entering cron entries.
Warning: You need to have a good knowledge of Linux commands before you can use cron jobs effectively. Check your script with your hosting administrator before adding a cron job.
To add or modify a cron job:
- Click on the Cron jobs button on the home page.
- If you want to use the Standard mode, click on the Standard button.
- Enter the e-mail address to send the results of running the cron job in the top field.
- Enter the command the you want to run in the Command to run field.
- Click on one option from each of the available lists.
- Click on the Save Crontab button. Your cron job has now been added or updated.
Note: You can always click on the Reset Changes button to change the cron job back to whatever it was before you started entering information.